We knew it: NC is the ‘center of the college basketball universe,’ governor proclaims
We all know that North Carolina is the center of the college basketball universe.
Now the governor has made it official.
Gov. Roy Cooper, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, proclaimed North Carolina “the center of the college basketball universe” on Thursday, ahead of the Final Four game Saturday night that is the first time that Duke and UNC will meet in the men’s NCAA tournament.
Along with the governor’s written proclamation, Cooper shared a video on social media that starts off as a serious scene before turning into a hype video, including a clip of Michael Jordan, arguably the GOAT, when he played for UNC, and Duke player Christian Laettner’s “the shot.”
Cooper is wearing a bipartisan tie in the video, with both shades of blue — navy blue with light blue stripes. For those keeping track, the proclamation alternates between leading with Duke or UNC throughout.
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The Tobacco Road rivalry between UNC and Duke is legendary, and the game Saturday has the added element of being Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season and UNC coach Hubert Davis’ first as head coach.
Cooper’s proclamation praises the schools’ academics, then says “and WHEREAS, on Saturday, April 2, at approximately 8:49 EDT, no one will be thinking about that,” runs through highlights of basketball history throughout the state, and calls Jordan the GOAT, or greatest of all time. He also notes the significance of this game for Davis and Coach K, then ends the proclamation with more universal truths for North Carolinians:
“WHEREAS, Duke and UNC are meeting for the first time ever in the NCAA Tournament, with this game coming in the Final Four;
and WHEREAS, the most passionate fans in the country are more than ready to enjoy this great rivalry and to shout some things that are not normally part of their vocabulary;
and WHEREAS, the eyes of the world are on these two great institutions, emphasizing the tradition of excellence in The State of North Carolina;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Roy Cooper, Governor of the greatest state in the country, do hereby proclaim North Carolina as “THE CENTER OF THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL UNIVERSE” and commend its observance to all North Carolinians.”
Cooper received his bachelor’s and law degrees from UNC Chapel Hill. He is in his second term as governor, after previously serving as attorney general and in the General Assembly. Cooper often uses sports analogies in speeches and news conferences, and is well known as a fan of UNC as well as the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 11:05 AM.
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